558 results for tag: Teachers / Educators

A Tu B’Shvat Seder to Heal the Wounded Earth

The New Year – for Rebirthing Trees: [This version of the Haggadah for Tu B’Shvat has been greatly adapted by Rabbi Arthur Waskow of The Shalom Center from a Haggadah shaped by Ellen Bernstein, as published in Trees, Earth, and Torah: A Tu B’Shvat Anthology (Jewish Publ. Soc., 1999, ed. by Elon, Hyman, & Waskow). Bernstein wrote introductory remarks to sections of that Haggadah, many of which have been included or adapted for this one. They are indicated in the text by the initials “EB.” * The desire for such a Haggadah grew from discussions of the Green Hevra, a network of Jewish environmental organizations. ...

Environmental Tip of the Week: Apology and this week’s tip: Dumpster Adventures

http://environmentaltip.blogspot.com/2013/12/apology-and-this-weeks-tip-dumpster.html I'm not blogging much lately due to certain matters going on in my life. Sorry, I know this is supposed to be a weekly post but life happens.... Anyway, here's this week's tip. This applies if you live in a place where there's a central dumpster where people dump their garbage: When you take out the garbage, keep your eyes open for things that might not really be garbage but perhaps someone was just trying to get rid of the item without it occurring to them that maybe someone else could use it. If you find something useful, go ahead and take it home! For example, ...

Honoring the Vera Lieber Memorial Garden

My local Orthodox Jewish day school, the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy, has been on a green roll. It’s especially inspiring because it doesn’t seem like just one person has been pushing it. It’s more like a group of people slowly came to the same conclusion, that there should be more environmental awareness, and they have all be acting on their own to bring green consciousness to the school and the students. For all of these actions, the school was recognized this year with a Bethesda Magazine Green Award. It’s the kind of thing that makes you proud. I especially wanted to share about a recent event ...

Transformative Judaism and our Planetary Crisis

Since human action has endangered the web of life on earth, human action can heal it. And the religious and spiritual communities of our planet have the wisdoms and the tools to do the healing. Judaism is especially relevant because, unlike most world religions, we preserve the teachings of an indigenous people in the biblical tradition –- the spiritual wisdom of shepherds and farmers. And yet as a world people, we can now apply the earthiness of our origins to the Whole Earth. That does not mean simply repeating the ancient practices. For instance, the ancient code of kosher food does not take into account that we now “e...

Earth Etude for Elul 2 – Elul Writing Project

by Molly Bajgot We’re nearing a time when the Earth will not provide as bountifully as it has in the past. In exchange for a loss of resources, I believe the Earth is pleading for us humans to return to ourselves, our deep souls, so we recognize a bounty that lives within us. Could this lead to the feeling of fertility in the human spirit, we may extend the times of plenty. Answering this call is not easy. We cannot stop deadlines so we may each have the time return to ourselves as a form of resiliency. It’s a necessary evil to take this time. We may feel that we’re missing out on other activities, events, or conversatio...

Learning to Plant

On Sunday, I planted my first garden. We planted it in a little corner of our back yard, where we hope the sun will be strong enough and the fence will keep out the deer. It's a garden built on hope. I’m not a gardener. When I was a kid, my mother (a teacher) would keep plants on her windowsill all year long, and when they were wilting would give them to a co-worker to nurse them back to health over the summer. She would say things like “I don’t have a green thumb,” and my experience showed the same – whenever I tried to take care of a plant it died. (My mother outgrew this perspective; when she retired ...

Shabbat Noach is Coming!

In celebration of Parshat Noach this coming Shabbat, Jewcology is proud to share a wealth of resources on the topic of Noach. Please enjoy and share these resources from many of our partners and participants so we can all benefit from the lessons of Parshat Noach. Explore all of our Parshat Noach resources Here's a sampling: Countering Destruction - Lessons from Noah Although the flood and the life of Noah occurred thousands of years ago, the story of Noah offers important lessons about how our actions affect the world. The Torah teaches that ten generations after Creation, all life on the planet had "corrupted its way on the earth"...

Seeds Of Peace: Botanical Gardens To Connect Jews And Arabs

Seeds Of Peace: Botanical Gardens To Connect Jews And Arabs By Hanna Szekeres The Botanical Gardens in Jerusalem, Israel is a 30-acre oasis where you can see, smell and even taste over 10,000 species of flowers from around the world. But the educational department of the gardens also focuses on another type of seed: “the seeds of peace.” Five years ago the department started a project called “Coexistence” that brings together nine- to 11-year-olds from the city’s Jewish and Muslim schools and teaches them about the production of spices, olive oil and herbal remedies in the gardens. The project consists ...

Lag B’Omer Program: Fire or Solar Panel visit?

What would you do? What lessons are you teaching/ role modeling? 1. The magic of a bonfire in a fire pit? and carbon emissions or 2. Visit a solar panel energy factory? and carbon emissions from the bus getting you there? Please share your thoughts! Pam

Job Posting: Greater Boston Area

jbrosenbloom@yahoo.com Wanted: Jewish Outdoor Educator: Greater Boston Area WHO WE ARE: we are an alternative, soulful jewish community with a delightful small group of children who gather to celebrate Shabbat twice a month WHO WE WANT: a kid loving, dynamic, jewish, nature lover who is creative and inspires fun and meaningful exploration of the great outdoors WHAT WE ARE HOPING FOR: someone to offer a small group of children (ages 3-10) opportunities to connect with each other, our greater ...

Educating Teens About Environmental Issues (CJN November 2011)

This "Sustainable Jew" article appeared inthe Canadian Jewish News November 3, 2011 During the time surrounding the High Holiday period, I had the opportunity to speak to Grade 8 Science classes at a number of the Toronto Jewish Day Schools. My talks are generally drawn from materials I have access to as a result of being trained by Al Gore as a Climate Reality Project volunteer presenter. Recently, Mr. Gore hosted a 24 hour effort, 1 for each time zone in the world, where local speakers would explain climate change and global warming in the global and local context. What was new this time were some of the videos and ...

Great Video – Get Ready for Tree B’Earthday!

The trees are God's great alphabet: With them He writes in shining green Across the world His thoughts serene. ~Leonora Speyer

Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment

Core teachings on 18 topics linking Torah and the environment were released between Tu b'Shevat 5772 and Tu b'Shevat 5773 as part of Jewcology's Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment, in partnership with Canfei Nesharim and a host of other organizations who shared materials across the Jewish community. The materials were shared at least 145 times on the web, in at least 99 social media postings, and reached over 51,000 people during the course of the year, as part of a Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment. The materials comprise the most comprehensive set of learning materials on Torah and the environment ever created, and are intended ...

A Sense of Wonder- Video Blog

Do you know this text- "Civilization will not be destroyed for lack of knowledge, but for lack of wonder" by Abraham Joshua Heschel? I confess, at first, while I wanted to love it, I doubted it. After all, aren't educators in the business of knowledge? But then, I remembered this quote by Rachel Carson: "If I had influence with the good fairy...I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life." SPOILER ALERT: This video blog records a reflection of these texts- my realization that wonder makes all the difference. What is the power of ...

Back from KAYAM

Back from The Farm Kayam Farm- the scene of "Planting Seeds: The First Jewish Early Childhood Conference." It was better than imagined. It was the participants willingness to "dig deeply" on all fronts that mattered. People came from as far as Seattle,North Carolina, Texas, Boston and Worcester, Florida and New York as well as from nearby Virgina, Pennsylvania,New Jersey and of course Baltimore. There were nature specialists, ece directors, teachers, a rabbi and a great mix of ages and persuasions. There were the gardeners and the wannabes and together we weeded, worked on the farm, engaged with the farm ...

The Arava Institute is offering two $1000 scholarships for fall 2011 semester

www. a r a v a . o r g The Arava Institute is offering two $1000 scholarships for fall 2011 semester. Suitable candidates must Be North American Be accepted to the Fall 2011 semester.  Be able to demonstrate leadership accomplishments.  Have a passion for environmental issues. As part of the application process to the Arava Institute you are required to provide two letters of recommendation and a personal essay. To apply for the grant: 1. One of your letters of recommendation must address your leadership skills and accomplishments. 2. Your personal admission essay should highligh...

Wilderness Canoe Trip For Jewish Educators, Camp and Youth Group Leaders

* Backcountry Camping Skills * Jewish Eco-theology * Integrated of Jewish Wilderness Experience Sign up now, this is a trip not to be missed! When: June 23 - 27, 2011 Where: Adirondack National Park, NY How Much: $650.00 Co-leaders: • Rabbi Howard Cohen, founder and senior guide for Burning Bush Adventures* • Noam Dolgin, a leader in Jewish environmental education (www.noamdolgin.com) For more info: www.burningbushadventures.com Email: burningbushadventures@gmail.com Call: 413-652-7086 *In business since 1989, Burning Bush Adventures is the established leader in combining backco...

Connecting to the Heart – Leadership Training March 13-14

Do you care about protecting our environment? Would you like to educate the Jewish community to learn more about this important issue? As you engage your family, school, or community, would you like to be more effective at speaking to people who don't always share the same views as you? Join us in March for a new in-person leadership training opportunity which will empower you to engage those who are not already involved in environmental action, and in so doing, raise the level of environmental engagement across the Jewish community. This training is perfect for rabbis, educators, synagogue lay leaders, and other community leaders at ...